Stoner and doom metal can be a tricky crossover. Not because of wildly contrasting elements, but because of the potential redundancies. Behold! The Monolith manage to work around the similarities of the genres and produces a rather intriguing performance that delights and excites.
The album begins by immediately establishing the foreboding doom atmosphere with a mammoth weight and tempo that has some serious Black Sabbath inspiration. The feeling of impending disaster never leaves the sound and keeps the listener on the edge of his seat, biting at his fingernails. While maintaining a consistent atmosphere could result in a monotone performance, Architects of The Void is also interlaced with sections of stoner groove stained by the darker side of doom, creating terrifying riffs that demonstrate a high level of technical skill along with an expert sense of development. Also, the percussion is on point throughout, with sections that sound like the war drums of an approaching army, as well as faster tight sections that assault the ear drums in the best way.
My one complaint is that the vocals seem to be a little tuned back in the mix, but this seems to be intentional as they range from what feels like the manic shouts of a mad man in the distance, to whispered echoes floating in the wind. While this may make the vocals difficult to comprehend without a lyric booklet, it does fit in with the atmosphere of desperation and horror that the band has lovingly created.
Architects of The Void is an excellent album that builds a surreal atmosphere accompanied with vicious musical talent. The implementation of both stoner and doom elements is executed masterfully allowing both styles to shine on their own and to weave together. For any fans of the stoner and doom genres, Architects of The Void should not be ignored,